Australia is obviously not in the European Union, so it has taken its own decisions on measures and sanctions imposed on Russia. We have imposed sanctions as part of the European Union, not on one, two or three occasions, but on 21 occasions. We have been very clear that, during the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, we want to work with other member states on developing further sanctions. Be it from a defence, security or economic point of view, the best way of having impact on Putin is through…

I thank the Deputy for the question. Let me assure him and the people of the country that while the Government is very pleased that Ireland has the Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the next six months, we take seriously the Deputy's point about the domestic agenda. I would make two points on this. Governments have to do more than one thing at a time. There are 97 days until the budget, if anyone is counting. We are continuing to work on a budget that will address many of the cost-of-living issues…

That is a very fair question. Europe can often seem something remote, so it is our collective job to do as the Deputy said and bring it home in terms of the real impact it makes. I think workers' rights were mentioned, but if they were not, they should have been because they are very much a core part of competitiveness. We cannot make our economies more competitive and grow our wealth without the workers who run the industries and deliver that productivity. There is a whole load of areas where Irish people can expe…

I thank Deputy O'Donoghue. It is not the first time he has raised this issue. I acknowledge his genuine interest and active involvement in this issue. I am consistently on the record on the importance of publishing new guidelines in relation to wind energy and wind farms. I am a believer, as I believe the Deputy said he was, in the switch to renewable energy. It is really important. We have seen what happens when we live in a country that is too reliant on fossil fuel. We all know that. We can have debates about ho…

I am at this long enough to know not to start making diary commitments on the floor of the Dáil. However, the Government will continue to engage with communities on this issue. Indeed, the Deputy has referenced some of my own constituents. Obviously, I engage with my own constituents. I am happy to do that also. I am not across the level of detail the Deputy has just given me - let me reflect on that - but the point he makes around inconsistency in general is an issue we want to stamp out. A planning system does we…

-----I expect that to happen this year. I will certainly arrange for a meeting to take place with the Government in terms who the appropriate people are. I will revert to the Deputy.

I thank Deputy Ó Fearghaíl and I join with him in congratulating and commending those involved in the Sullivan Cup and the success they brought to themselves and our country. I acknowledge not just Deputy Ó Fearghaíl's interest in our Defence Forces, but his long-standing advocacy on behalf of them, which is coloured in part, I am sure, by the community and constituency in which he lives and, therefore, the knowledge he has in regard to that lived experience in County Kildare. I am proud of our Defence Forces. Ever…

I take that point because I hear it often. You see it in Garda numbers as well - the number of people who initially apply and how "serious" the applications are if only a very small percentage turns into inductions. There must be something in it, in the sense that the gap between the level of applications and inductions is very high. The Defence Forces is working through its strategic workforce plan to seek to make improvements on that. My own sense, for what it is worth, is that there can be people who apply at a …

When the Deputy uses phrases like “rolls out the red carpet” for the President of the European Commission, the mask kind of slips. It is a sharp reminder that Sinn Féin has opposed every single European referendum, including the one to join the European Union. It is a Eurosceptic party; it has been since its foundation. If it were up to Sinn Féin, Ireland would not be in the European Union because it opposed joining it. It is nothing to do with the colour of the carpet, but more to do with Sinn Féin’s politically i…

I reject the idea that any report has sat on the shelf and gathered dust. I have had many engagements with the Traveller community in a whole variety of roles, most particularly in the education space. Indeed, it was my party in government that recognised Traveller as an ethnicity, which was an important moment for members of the Traveller community. The report is a valuable piece of work. It highlights stark inequalities and discrimination that still exists in this Republic. Certainly, I and the Government as a wh…

I thank Deputy Ahern for that colourful intervention, but on an important matter. The Minister for justice has introduced an 8% increase in criminal legal aid fees payable to solicitors and barristers in both the Circuit Court and High Court from 1 July. This is now a total restoration of criminal legal aid fees cut under the financial emergency measures in the public interest, FEMPI. He has also proposed, and is trying to bring about reform with, a move to a flat-fee model. I would also point out that he has moved…

I may have to ask the Minister to come back on some of the specifics, but I know that the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 sets out a clear process for what should happen when a new standard is made available. It requires that a review of the operation of the Act commences within three months of that standard being published. The Minister for housing now intends to commence a review of the operation of the Act in the coming weeks. I will ask him to keep in close cont…

I would be happy to visit Scoil Padre Pio. If the Deputy wants to liaise with me, I will make arrangements to do that in due course in the new school year. I thank the school, based on what the Deputy has told me, for the leadership role it is playing in the provision of special education. I will certainly speak with the Minister, Deputy Naughton, about the school building project. What I would say all Members of this House, including Deputy O'Flynn, is that while we have announced a significant increase in capital…

That contribution made me smile to see the positivity, infectiousness and county pride the GAA can bring. I look forward to attending that game because, of course, what the Deputy did not say in her contribution, is that County Wicklow is in the Tailteann Cup final on the same day, just before that match. Wicklow will beat Down and then Louth and Mayo I am not getting involved in, but I wish everybody well. I take the point about the large-scale projects. Indeed, I had an opportunity quite a while ago to meet with …

This a great round of Questions on Policy or Legislation. We have gone from GAA pitches to concert events. The Deputy raises a very important point. It is great to see the level of activity and the concerts going on right across the country and particularly the city and county of Dublin. Deputy Boland is right; the joy can be somewhat taken out of that if there are real challenges in terms of traffic, congestion and a lack of co-ordination. I know that is an issue that can affect her own constituency of Dublin Fing…

I thank Deputy Mythen for raising this issue in relation to primary care services in County Wexford and the impact it is having on children waiting longer periods on waiting lists. I will certainly raise this issue with the Minister for Health and ask that she discuss it specifically with that CHO and the HSE to see what more can be done to make progress. I will ask the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, to come back to the Deputy directly.

I thank Deputy Nolan for raising this issue in relation to access to occupational therapy for older people. I will speak to the Minister about that broader issue but also specifically the issue she has raised regarding that elderly gentleman who is seeking an assessment and has a number of medical referrals. If she wants to send me the information, I will ask the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, to engage with the HSE and come back to her.

I think Deputy McCormack for raising this issue. I will discuss it with the Minister, Deputy Burke, and ask that he revert to the Deputy. More broadly, the IDA is continuing to deliver very successful results in a very challenging environment and is securing more sites that, as the Deputy said, are able to be accessed because they have the enabling infrastructure to try to keep ahead of the curve. The world is getting more and more competitive. It is more vital than ever to have that joined-up approach to securing …

I do not honestly know the answer to the question of whether we have one. I have not seen it if we do, so I presume we have not. On foot of the Deputy raising this, I will ask the relevant Ministers to take a look at it because I am conscious he is a doctor as well as a Deputy and there is a very clear differentiation between what he is trying to achieve from an economic point of view and the broader discussion in relation to cannabis and the likes. That idea of the industrial use of hemp and the good that could co…

I thank Deputy Crowe. I can hear his frustration. From memory, I think the waiting time for driving tests is falling, albeit from a very high place. I take the point that there can be geographic differences in relation to that too. I am not sure of the situation in relation to the Sandyford test centre but on foot of the Deputy raising it, I will speak to the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, who has responsibility for the RSA and road safety to see what can be done. More broadly, we are having a conversation about…